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Why I Asked 71 People to Write My Husband a Love Letter

February 13, 2012 by Rebekah Hoffer 15 Comments

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Valentine’s day is traditionally when we express our love, but why limit ourselves?  Today I’m sharing a love-filled gift that is perfect for anytime of year.

For my husband’s 30th birthday, I surprised him with a box of love letters written by 71 of his friends and family.  I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate and honor Nate’s first 30 years of life.  The gift cost me very little, but was worth so much.

My husband’s letters weren’t filled with lines of romance.  Instead, I asked his family and friends to express how much they appreciate Nate.  It was touching to see the letters come flooding into my mail box and to know that each one was singing the praises of my husband.  I collected all the letters in a box, wrapped them like a regular birthday gift, and presented them to my husband on his birthday.

I highly recommend giving the gift of love letters.  It is a inexpensive and only takes some organization to pull it off.

Tips for Giving the Gift of Love Letters:

1.  Start early to give people plenty of time to write and return their letters.

2.  Type out a clear instructional letter to explain the gift of love letters and how you want friends and family to help you.  Make sure to include:

  • A deadline for returning letters
  • Instructions for how to return the letters – I asked people to hand them to me in person, email me, or mail them with only my name on the envelope.  For privacy, people were encouraged to send their letters in a separate sealed envelope.
  • Suggestions for what to include in the letter – I suggested that people include a humorous story, a time when Nate made a difference in their day, qualities of Nate that they admire, and/or why they value Nate’s friendship.

3.  The more personalized the letters the better.  Encourage each member of families to write their own letter instead of one letter per family.  Even children can include a letter.

4.  Ask as many people as possible to write a letter.  I’m not suggesting that you betray the trust of your loved one, but…  I hacked into my husband’s Facebook account to help build the list of people I requested letters from.  I copied his friends list and then sent messages through Facebook to people I thought would want to contribute.  It worked out well since Facebook allows you to send messages to people who aren’t on your own friends list.  I also sent requests to a couple of contacts at Nate’s work that were able to distribute my request to the rest of his colleagues.

5.  Use email and Facebook to cut down on the cost.  I sent the vast majority of my request letters through email and Facebook.  The rest I mailed, but the cost was very minimal.  A frugal, but fabulous gift!

6.  Give the recipient space and time to read the letters.  A gift like this is extremely touching, but may be a bit overwhelming.  It took Nate several days to read through his letters.  Don’t rush it and certainly don’t sit there staring at them as they read each letter.  Let the recipient have the personal and private time they need to process such a thoughtful gift.

Is there someone in your life you could bless with the gift of love letters?  I received this same gift when I was in high school.  I still have each letter and can’t image ever throwing them out.

Let’s not just say, “I love you” to those we love.  Let’s tell them why we love them!

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Filed Under: Frugal Tips, Gift Ideas

Comments

  1. Megan says

    February 13, 2012 at 4:30 PM

    I love this! I think anyone would appreciate a gift like this, and it really meets the spirit of why we give gifts to people.

    Reply
    • Rebekah says

      February 14, 2012 at 9:05 PM

      Wouldn’t be great if we all received a love letter in the mail each day? 🙂

      Reply
  2. Audra says

    February 13, 2012 at 4:47 PM

    Oh – what a FABULOUS idea! My husband’s birthday falls right near Christmas so he will often get just an expanded Christmas gift – something bigger than we could do for just one celebration. This would make it so much more special.

    Reply
    • Rebekah says

      February 14, 2012 at 9:04 PM

      That sounds like a perfect time to use this idea. I just hope he doesn’t read my blog…. kidding! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Nicole @ Simple Organic says

    February 18, 2012 at 2:23 PM

    What a fabulous idea, Rebekah! I’m definitely storing this idea for the future.

    Reply
  4. Emma says

    February 29, 2012 at 6:01 AM

    That is beautiful, I once received something similar and it was incredible.
    My husband turns 30 in June and I am totally going to do this!

    Reply
    • Rebekah says

      March 3, 2012 at 10:06 AM

      Incredible is right! I really can’t think of a better gift than hearing how much you are loved. Your husband will love it!

      Reply
  5. Kyle says

    July 11, 2015 at 10:35 AM

    Wanted you know that 3.5 years later, your post inspired me to make a similar gift to my wife. Thanks for the inspiration!

    http://imgur.com/a/3ADxG

    Reply
    • Rebekah Hoffer says

      July 14, 2015 at 7:27 PM

      Kyle, that is fantastic! I love the twist that you put on the idea, how many cards you were able to gather, and the celebrities that participated. Wonderful!

      Reply
      • Kyle says

        July 15, 2015 at 11:44 AM

        I got 289 total of the 350 or so that I mailed out. Some of the “Did not return” came from the celebrity section. I got 5, maybe 6 celebrities out of 20 that I sent out.

        And another good thing is that now she has bragged about it online, and several people are sending theirs in late so they can be a part of it. It’s a gift that keeps on giving every time you go to the mailbox!

        Reply
        • Rebekah Hoffer says

          July 16, 2015 at 4:15 PM

          That is just awesome. I love it!

          Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Delightful Links for the Weekend {2/25} | A Delightful Home says:
    February 18, 2012 at 11:19 PM

    […] Why I Asked 71 People to Write a Love Letter to My Husband @ Simply Rebekah […]

    Reply
  2. 20 Favorite Handmade Gifts says:
    November 29, 2012 at 2:40 AM

    […] Collection of love letters :: I just love this idea from Simply Rebekah. I gave my husband a book full of letters from family and friends for his birthday this year, and it would be just as sweet as a Christmas gift. […]

    Reply
  3. On joining The Thank You Note Project says:
    December 13, 2014 at 2:49 AM

    […] was indeed thankful to my bloggy friend Rebekah who first had this idea as it greatly blessed my man on his birthday. And of course, many thanks go […]

    Reply
  4. 50 Homemade Gift Ideas {and DIY Packaging tutorials} - Keeper of the Home says:
    April 19, 2017 at 1:04 AM

    […] Love Letter Journal (more on Love Letters) […]

    Reply

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